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Using Local Social Media Tactics to Grow Your Restaurant Brand

Download the full paper for free here:
http://info.rockbot.com/5-local-social-media-tactics-for-fast-casual-restaurant-brands

Discover which top restaurant brands are utilizing unconventional and hyper local social media tactics to accelerate brand awareness in new markets.

See how one Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee used local social to produce the most successful openings of the entire chain.

This guide includes includes 5 core insights that have been proven to accelerate growth and awareness as restaurant brands expand into new cities and regions. You'll also receive a free social media content calendar and 3 easy next steps for taking action.

If these insights are helpful, we only ask you to consider visiting Rockbot.com to learn how we're changing the restaurant industry!

Using Local Social Media Tactics to Grow Your Restaurant Brand

1.
ROCKBOT.COM
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USING LOCAL
SOCIAL
TOLAUNCHYOURRESTAURANTBRANDINNEWMARKETS
HOW
ONE
BUFFALO
WILD
WINGS®
FRANCHISEE
UTILIZED
LOCAL
SOCIAL
MEDIA
TACTICS
TO
PRODUCE
THE
MOST
SUCCESSFUL
OPENINGS
OF
THE
ENTIRE
CHAIN

2.
ROCKBOT.COM
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THE ROCKBOT
INSIGHT
THE
QUESTION
AT
HAND
Going
from
zero
to
brand
awareness
in
a
new
market
presents
a
challenge
for
any
restaurant
brand–whether
you’re
a
new
fast
casual
concept
tackling
a
new
city
or
a
surging
enterprise
entering
a
new
region
of
the
U.S.
INSIGHT
Rockbot
analyzed
the
tacJcs
of
top-­‐performing
Buﬀalo
Wild
Wings®
franchisees
to
ﬁnd
that
ﬁve
hyper-­‐local
and
unconvenJonal
social
media
tacJcs
accelerated
brand
awareness
in
new
markets.
1. THINK
LIKE
AN
SMB.
Partnering
with
community
groups,
from
liRle
league
teams
to
university
student
clubs,
reaches
local
consumers
in
authenJc
contexts
and
provides
custom
social
media
content.
2. COMMIT
TO
LOCAL-­‐FIRST
CONTENT.
PrioriJzing
local-­‐speciﬁc
content
on
social
media
over
naJonal
brand
messaging
increases
consumer
sharing.
3. BEFRIEND
YOUR
COMPETITORS
ONLINE.
Take
the
high
road
and
menJon/tag/retweet
other
restaurants
in
the
area.
Make
it
clear
you’re
invested
in
being
part
of
the
community
and
that
you’re
there
to
stay.
4. MAKE
YOUR
REGULARS
FAMOUS.
Your
loyal
customers
are
the
most
willing
to
share
online.
Spoil
them
with
shout-­‐outs
&
rewards
on
social
and
watch
your
brand
spread
across
their
networks.
5. TRAIN
YOUR
STAFF
LIKE
A
STREET
TEAM.
Task
staﬀ
with
recruiJng
on-­‐premise
guests
to
your
online
channels.
StarJng
the
consumer
relaJonship
with
an
in-­‐person
experience
will
boost
social
media
engagement
later.

3.
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IS LOCAL SOCIAL
AN OPPORTUNITY?
WE
THINK
YOU’LL
AGREE.
Over
51%
of
adults
are
learning
about
new
local
restaurants
online
–
as
opposed
to
tradiJonal
channels
like
newspaper
(31%)
and
TV
(8%).
However,
just
because
the
acJon
has
shibed
to
search
and
social,
does
not
mean
it’s
shibed
away
from
local.
Over
half
of
adult
consumers
(52%)
are
more
likely
to
eat
at
a
restaurant
that
supports
their
community.
Does
this
mean
hometown
SMBs
have
an
inevitable
advantage
when
it
comes
to
customer
loyalty?
Or
does
it
simply
present
an
opportunity
for
enterprise
brands
to
reach
consumers
at
the
local-­‐online
intersecJon?
Since
restaurants
will
spend
69%
more
in
2014
on
locaJon-­‐based
markeJng,
local
social
may
be
emerging
as
a
major
opportunity
for
brands
to
win
awareness
and
loyalty
in
new
local
markets.
Sources:
Na?onal
Restaurant
Associa?on,
Pew
Research
Center,
eMarketer,
JiWire
2013.

4.
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Restaurant
brands
face
a
diﬃcult
markeJng
quesJon
in
whether
or
not
to
uJlize
local
social
media
channels
on
Facebook
and
TwiRer
(e.g.
an
“Applebee’s
Downtown
San
Francisco”
page,
in
addiJon
to
the
primary
“Applebee’s”
naJonal
brand
page).
According
to
the
most
recent
Restaurant
Social
Media
Index
(February
2014)
produced
by
Paul
Barron’s
DigitalCoco,
the
following
brands
rank
highest
among
all
fast
casual
concepts
uJlizing
social
media.
Buﬀalo
Wild
Wings®,
Hard
Rock
Café®
and
Smashburger®
are
among
those
currently
uJlizing
regional
or
locaJon-­‐speciﬁc
pages
–
to
varying
degrees
–
to
engage
customers
with
hyper-­‐
local
content.
Smashburger®,
for
example,
maintains
a
strictly
naJonal
Facebook
presence,
while
uJlizing
TwiRer
for
naJonal
and
local
pages.
LOCAL PAGES IN
FAST CASUALTO
USE
LOCAL
BRAND
PAGES
OR
NOT
TO
USE
LOCAL
BRAND
PAGES—THAT
IS
THE
QUESTION.
SEE
HOW
THE
TOP
FAST
CASUAL
BRANDS
ON
SOCIAL
ARE
ANSWERING
IT.
TODAY

5.
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THE B-DUBS®
LOCAL FORMULA
B-­‐DUBS®
FRANCHISEES
CRACK
THE
CODE
Buﬀalo
Wild
Wings®
is
ranked
one
of
today’s
top
restaurant
brands
on
social,
and
the
brand’s
franchisees
are
tweeJng
to
the
beat
of
a
diﬀerent
drummer.
BriJany
Ward,
VP
of
MarkeQng
for
B-­‐Dubs®
franchisee
Screamin’
Hot
Concepts,
reports
that
the
following
local
social
media
tacJcs
have
produced
their
most
successful
openings
and
helped
to
accelerate
brand
awareness.
1. PARTNERS.
“In
new
ciJes,
we
partner
with
chambers
of
commerce,
sponsor
local
university
clubs
and
ask
other
local
groups
to
introduce
us
to
the
community
and
collaborate
with
us
on
social.”
2. CONTENT.
“What
would
you
talk
about
with
your
neighbors?
Social
content
about
local
events,
people
or
organizaJons
resonate
more.
Create
fun
posts
to
repeat
each
week
-­‐
showcase
an
employee,
feature
a
customer,
and
hype
up
a
local
sports
event.”
3. WHAT
COMPETITION?
“Don’t
be
afraid
to
‘Like’
and
follow
pages
of
other
local
vendors
and
area
restaurants
to
show
your
connecJon
to
the
community.
Tweet
at
them
publicly
so
they
can
respond
and
consumers
can
see
the
relaJonship.”
4. CUSTOMERS.
“Remember
that
you’re
targeJng
the
very
customers
who
walk
through
your
doors.
Celebrate
them!
Some
of
our
regulars
get
their
own
B-­‐Dubs®
birthday
cake
and
we
post
a
photo
of
the
cake
on
social,
so
they
can
share
with
their
friends.”
5. STAFF.
“Our
employees
would
also
be
our
customers.
They
mirror
what
our
guests’
buying
decisions
would
be.
Allow
them
to
share
their
favorite
menu
items
online.
Have
them
recruit
customers
to
follow
your
social
channels.”

6.
ROCKBOT.COM
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THIS
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SAMPLE
TEMPLATE:
POSTING
LOCAL
CONTENT
ON
SOCIAL
MEDIA
SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT Hype up a event or activity your fans are likely thinking
about or planning to enjoy. Example: Sports
Give a few loyal customers (or your entire city) a big local
shout-out.
Promote a giveaway, contest or event that’s only available
at your local store/s.
Remind everyone of an exclusive special you’re only
running at that location.
Mention or partner with a local personality who your fans
love and include them in your posts.
Remind fans of a weekly activity at your location (karaoke,
trivia, Rockbot night, etc.).
Switch to national messaging with a fan-favorite menu item
to rally everyone around your brand.

7.
ROCKBOT.COM
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THIS
WHITEPAPER
BLANK
TEMPLATE:
EASY
TO
PRINT
&
SHARE
WITH
YOUR
SOCIAL
TEAM
SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT Hype up a event or activity your fans are likely thinking
about or planning to enjoy. Example: Sports
Give a few loyal customers (or your entire city) a big local
shout-out.
Promote a giveaway, contest or event that’s only available
at your local store/s.
Remind everyone of an exclusive special you’re only
running at that location.
Mention or partner with a local personality who your fans
love and include them in your posts.
Remind fans of a weekly activity at your location (karaoke,
trivia, Rockbot night, etc.)
Switch to national messaging with a fan-favorite menu item
to rally everyone around your brand.

8.
ROCKBOT.COM
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EASY NEXT STEPS
THREE
THINGS
YOU
CAN
DO
RIGHT
NOW
TO
CONVERT
THESE
INSIGHTS
INTO
ACTION.
1. Email
your
markeQng
lead
and
ask
about
how
your
brand
is
uJlizing
local
social
media.
2. Think
of
the
next
3
markets
or
ciJes
on
your
roadmap.
What
is
your
brand
awareness
like
there?
3. Share
the
tacQcs
on
slide
2
with
your
social
media
managers
and
ask
for
their
feedback.

9.
ROCKBOT.COM
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THANK YOUWe
hope
the
ideas
presented
in
this
report
on
local
social
media
strategy
sparked
even
beRer
ideas
of
your
own.
If
you
haven’t
seen
how
Rockbot
is
changing
the
restaurant
industry
and
engaging
today’s
generaJon
of
customers,
we
invite
you
to
see
it
for
yourself.
“The
most
disrupQve
and
relevant
new
business
music
soluJon
for
today’s
mobile
and
social
world.”
–
FastCasual.com
“Rapidly
innovaQng
outdated
background
music
in
restaurants
with
an
exciJng,
social
experience
for
customers.”
–
Na.onal
Restaurant
Associa.on
Learn
more
at
rockbot.com/enterprise
and
feel
free
to
follow
us
at
@RockbotBusiness.
Rockbot
blows
your
customers’
minds
and
gets
them
sharing
your
brand
on
social
media.
We
replace
the
old
“background
music”
in
restaurants
with
a
social
music
experience
that
engages
today’s
smartphone
customers,
increases
social
media
buzz,
and
drives
customer
dwell
Jme.
WHAT IS ROCKBOT